Right now the inside of a closet is probably looking rather inviting for Ian Thorpe, who over the past week has endured what would have to rank as one of the more insidious campaigns of recent memory when it comes to dealing with high-profile gay people in mainstream media.

Indeed, one could be forgiven for thinking it was 1956 rather than 2016 following the bizarre placement of stories dripping in innuendo and cliches while reinforcing ignorant stereotypes about gay people.

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Apparently, Thorpe refusing the offer of a "breath mint" during last weekend's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras constitutes front-page news, with lashings of mock outrage on the side.

The story was splashed over the front page of Rupert Murdoch's The Daily Telegraph, then duly regurgitated by click-bait specialists the Daily Mail, with a series of photographs including one greatly magnified to show the offending "white pill" being offered to Thorpe and questioning what sort of substance it actually was, without a skerrick of evidence to suggest it was anything more than a Tic Tac.

The shots were taken on a public street with a long lens by Sydney paparazzo Ben McDonald, who earned $2000 from the Murdoch media camp.

"We saw Ian the day before walking around with his mates and realised he would be an interesting person to keep an eye on as it was Mardi Gras weekend … that's what paps do, we look for images that no one else has and there has to be some sort of context for it … you can never predict what the photos will end up being," McDonald explained this week, admitting he had no idea what the pill actually was, only that Thorpe's "mate got it out of his wallet".

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While $2000 is not a bad price for a set of fairly uneventful photos of Thorpe, compared with the big money shots which can go for tens of thousands of dollars, if not hundreds of thousands, it's chicken feed. But the potential damage, both personally and professionally, sustained by Thorpe through the innuendo of the media coverage is a far bigger issue.

McDonald admitted it was the mystery pill which made the images potent, especially given the circumstances in which they were taken – on the night of Mardi Gras, which is often portrayed by mainstream media as one of the most hedonistic social events in Sydney. Again this year's coverage focused heavily on racy costumes and glitter rather than the politics and struggle which spawned Mardi Gras.

Ultimately, it wasn't up to a paparazzo like McDonald as to how big media companies treated his photos, although he admitted he knew those particular mastheads – the Telegraph and Daily Mail – would be more interested in the shots over others.

Coincidentally, an hour or so after the photo was taken I was chatting with Thorpe at a Mardi Gras party in a private residence some blocks away from the action on Oxford Street. He was friendly and relaxed, happy to discuss how, at the age of 33, he had finally found happiness and acceptance of his sexuality. And there was no hiding the joy he felt when talking about his new partner, law student and model Ryan Channing, who mingled nearby with their friends.

The only reservations Thorpe had about the night was the prospect of dealing with the crowds and inevitable photo requests if he were to go to the Mardi Gras after party or stand in the crowds watching the parade.

"It takes a lot of the fun out of it," he told me.

As it turned out, a few friendly selfie requests from fans would be the least of his worries.